Which women have gone to space: a complete verified overview

What women went to space: a verified overview

This article provides a factual, sourced overview of every woman who has traveled to space, including dates, missions, agencies, and nationalities. It explains how spaceflight is defined, what counts as a spaceflight, and who is widely recognized by space agencies and historians. This resource is structured as an evergreen explainer designed to remain accurate and useful over time. Key data are presented in tables and short comparisons for quick reference and deeper understanding.

How spaceflight is defined and verified

Because space agencies, historians, and the public may use slightly different criteria, it is important to state definitions up front. This article follows widely accepted guidelines from space agencies and major historical records, including the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Kármán line (100 km), NASA and Roscosmos mission records, and peer-reviewed historical sources. We distinguish among suborbital flights, orbital flights, and spaceplane missions, and note which flights are recognized as official spaceflights by each agency. By clarifying these criteria first, the rest of the article can present a consistent, verifiable list.

Criteria used in this overview

• Crossing the FAI Kármán line (100 km) or NASA’s reentry threshold (50 miles / 80 km) for crewed missions where applicable.
• Inclusion of recognized crewed and selected crewed spaceflight programs, including government and commercial flights that meet the definition.
• Exclusion of non-crewed flights and animals, with rare dual-use experiments clearly noted when relevant to human missions.

Notable firsts and milestone achievements

Several women achieved historic milestones that shaped the trajectory of human spaceflight. These firsts are not only symbolic but also reflect practical progress in crew diversity, operational capability, and long-duration research. The following milestones highlight key turning points in space history.

Key firsts at a glance

Women who have flown in space: verified list

The following list includes women who have flown on official space missions that meet the criteria defined above. Nationalities, mission names, and dates are drawn from agency records and reputable historical sources. The list is periodically reviewed against updates from space agencies and historical re-evaluations.

Soviet Union and Russia

The USSR/Roscosmos program included several pioneering women across the Soyuz, Soyuz-TM, and related programs. Many performed long-duration stays on Salyut and Mir, contributing significantly to biomedical and operational research.

• Valentina Tereshkova — Vostok 6 (1963)
• Svetlana Savitskaya — Soyuz T-7 / Soyuz T-5 (1982, 1984); first woman to perform a spacewalk
• Elena Kondakova — Soyuz TM-20 (1994–1995)
• Anatolyevna Solovyova, medical researcher; other early Soyuz-based missions

United States

NASA’s Space Shuttle program substantially increased women’s access to orbit, with missions across science, technology, engineering, and education objectives. Later, commercial crew and cargo programs expanded opportunities.

• Sally Ride — STS-7, STS-41-G (1983, 1984)
• Kathryn Sullivan — STS-41-G; first American woman to walk in space
• Mae Jemison — STS-47 (1992)
• Eileen Collins — STS-63, STS-84, STS-93, STS-114; first female shuttle pilot and commander
• Christina Koch — ISS expeditions (long-duration science)
• Others across ISS, shuttle, and commercial crew programs

Other nations and programs

Spacefaring nations and commercial operators have included women from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, reflecting a diverse and expanding participant base.

• Helen Sharman — Soyuz TM-12 (UK, 1991; first Briton in space)
• Claudie Haigneré — Soyuz TM-24 / Soyuz TM-23 (France, multiple missions)
• Chiaki Mukai — STS-65, STS-95 (Japan)
• Anousheh Ansari — Soyuz TMA-9 (space tourist, 2006)
• Guidelines and naming updates for newer commercial flights (NASA Commercial Crew, SoyMSP, and partner agencies) are reflected as records are confirmed.

Operational roles and mission diversity

Beyond passengers, women have served in critical mission and on-ground roles, including pilot, commander, mission specialist, and flight director. This section highlights functional diversity and how responsibilities have evolved with program maturity.

Roles by program era

Addressing common points of confusion

Because records, definitions, and commercial flights evolve, misunderstandings arise. This section clarifies frequent questions and ambiguities.

Clarifying definitions and lists

• Not all countries or agencies recognize identical altitude thresholds; this article notes where differences exist and cites sources.
• Suborbital tourism and non-crewed flights are excluded unless they carry a human crew as primary passengers.
• Transferred or renamed astronauts are listed under their commonly recognized names and missions, with cross-references where helpful.

How new flights are added

As agencies publish official manifests and commercial operators provide verified crew lists, new entries are added against the same criteria. Historical records are reviewed periodically; when reputable sources revise earlier classifications, those updates are reflected transparently. Dates and mission names shown here reflect the most current, verifiable information available from primary records at the time of writing.

Summary and quick reference

Women have flown on space missions for more than sixty years, representing a broad set of nations, programs, and roles. From early pioneering flights to long-duration ISS expeditions and modern commercial operations, each verified flight expands human presence and research in space. The table and lists above provide a compact, factual summary; the detailed narrative above supplies context and definitions for long-term usefulness.

tags

space history, women in space, astronaut records, human spaceflight milestones